I really enjoyed this book, both for the history and for the people that mr. Always a visual writer, vassanji is virtually cinematic in his evocation of a dysfunctional, futuristic toronto thats only one or two unhinged mayors away from becoming a reality. Vassanjis writings, which have received considerable critical acclaim, often focus on issues of migration, diaspora, citizenship, gender and ethnicity. Written in 19 by a british colonial administrator, the diary captivates fernandes, who begins to research the coded history he encounters in its terse, laconic entries. In the late sixties, ramji, a student from dar es salaam, east africa, arrives in an america far different from the one he dreamed about, one caught up in antiwar demonstrations, revolutionary lifestyles, and spiritual quests. Studying sanskrit and indian philology prompted vassanjis career change. Vassanjis work is known throughout north america, and in africa, and south asia, and has been translated into several languages. G vassanji book islam in the eastern african novel by emad mirmotahari book the texture of identity. A delhi obsession was written, vassanji tells us in an authors note, in response to the radicalization of attitudes about identity he observed on his own trips to india, and indeed, it often reads. Arriving in the us from east africa dar es salaam in 1968, ramji is drawn into campus radicalism, the orbits of several charismatic men and otherwise. Before coming to canada in 1978, he attended mit and the university of pennsylvania, where he specialized in. Vassanji also became the awards firstever repeat winner in 2003 for his novel the inbetween world of vikram lall. An intriguing palimpsest of vernacular, historical, and cultural discourses, the book of secrets also foregrounds the themes and ideas that recur throughout vassanjis fiction. It was the winner of the very first giller prize for canadian fiction.
Vassanji has won the canadian giller prize twice with the book of secrets and the inbetween world of vikram lall. Buy the book of secrets book online at low prices in india. The inbetween world of vikram lall, a compelling record in the voice of a character described as a cheat of monstrous and reptilian cunning, took three years to write. Speculative fiction may not be native to the author of the book of secrets and the assassins. Starting and ending with the book of secrets of the title, a diary kept by a british colonial administrator, the novel weaves its way through the personal and family histories of those linked to this book. He attended the massachusetts institute of technology and was writerinresidence at the. A product of the asian settlements in east africa from kenya to south africa, vassanji is not only telling a story but recalling a way of. Hints, guides and discussions of the wiki content related to the magic of vassanji should be placed in the discussion topic. Vassanjis 2003 novel the inbetween world of vikram lall was no easy feat, the book required some focus and perseverance, the fact that i was so dedicated to the task of reading completing the book, is perhaps due as much to my interest in the familiar narrative of east african asian family histories as it is to the skill of. Dec 14, 2019 the one thing the book is not is urgent, but it is affecting and appealing in a wistful sort of way.
Vassanji devoted himself to the novel in a dark office at the university of toronto. M g vassanji masterfully weaves an extraordinarily colourful and richly complicated carpet the book of secrets is a big book in every sense. He attended the massachusetts institute of technology and was writerinresidence at the university of iowa in the international writing program. Vassanji author of the inbetween world of vikram lall. In this remarkable book, ellen handler spitz shows how to promote childrens creative and emotional. Munir khan, a recent widower from toronto, on a whim decides to visit delhi, the city of his forebears. Vassanji is part fiction, part prophecy, and partial plea. A delhi obsession was written, vassanji tells us in an authors note, in response to the radicalization of attitudes about identity he observed on his own trips to india, and indeed, it often. One is grateful, in the end, for vassanjis company as for his wonderful book.
A lovely, deeply personal bookone entirely worthy of canadas topshelf talents. Weeks after the launch of qatil ka geet, the hindi version of his book the assassins song, his new book the magic of saida was launched by its publisher doubleday canada the latest novel is set in tanzania, where vassanji was raised. He is a member of the order of canada and the recipient of the canada council molson prize for the arts. At first blush that seems a stretch, but as one reads vassanjis new book, the magic of saida, there are glimmers of how these 19th century writers. A product of the asian settlements in east africa from kenya to south africa, vassanji is not only telling a story but recalling a way. Weeks after the launch of qatil ka geet, the hindi version of his book the assassins song, his new book the magic of saida was launched by its publisher doubleday canada. Vassanji how does the social, political and cultural background influence the characters. Vassanji sits down with the agenda for a conversation on his new book and home was kariakoo. Vassanji uses the future to better understand nostalgia, in the traditional sense of longing for a bygone era, which engulfs us as we get older.
A powerful novel about grief, second chances, tradition and rebellion, set in an exciting presentday delhi, from twotime giller prize winner m. Vassanji, published in 1994 it was the winner of the very first giller prize for canadian fiction. Vassanji an indian descent from eastern africa has an excellent grasp of history and well understanding of local cultures around his childhood region. The book of secrets 1994, featuring a minor character from a story in uhuru street, won vassanji the first giller prize that same year. The immigrant from dar es salaam who narrates many parts of this novel by vassanji the book of secrets tells a compelling story of rebellion and its aftereffects, but a pervasive stylistic. Before coming to canada in 1978, he attended mit and the university of pennsylvania, where he specialized in theoretical nuclear physics. Vassanjis seventh book and his second collection of short stories, when she was queen was shortlisted for the 2006 toronto book award. In the book of secrets, vassanji traces the histories of people who possessed the diary of a british administrator, the book of secrets. The magic of saida is the sort of novel that, upon finishing, one wants to immediately read again, to examine, to study just how vassanji works his narrative magic, and to allow oneself to savour it just that little bit longer.
It speaks of a notsodistant future that enables society to eradicate old memories in place of creating fictonalized, new ones for a new, and in some cases, renewable identity. But this is a book also about books, stories and history themselves. Sep 24, 2019 a delhi obsession was written, vassanji tells us in an authors note, in response to the radicalization of attitudes about identity he observed on his own trips to india, and indeed, it often. In a novel that won canadas distinguished giller prize, east africanborn vassanji no new land, p.
As of 2019, he has published nine novels, as well as a two collection of short fiction and two nonfiction books. Vassanjis the inbetween world of vikram lall is a haunting novel of corruption and regret that brings to life the complexity and turbulence of kenyan society in the last five decades. In this remarkable book, ellen handler spitz shows how. Vassanji and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Vassanji is the author of six novels and two collections of short stories. His work has appeared in various countries and several languages.
Vassanji won the giller prize for the book of secrets and the inbetween world of vikram lall, along with the governor generals literary award for nonfiction for a place within. Brown in the opening chapter of his seminal book on canadian poetry 1943, i shall understand writing by those who having been born in canada passed a. In 1988, a retired schoolteacher named pius fernandes receives an old diary found in the back room of an east african shop. Kamal punja is a physician who has lived in canada for the past forty years, but whom we first meet in a tanzanian hospital. In an interview with chelva kanaganayakam, vassanji said this of his decision to leave the field of physics. Amriika is a novel of betrayal, disillusionment, and discovery set in america during three highly charged decades in the nations history. This book was the first to win the prestigious giller prize and it is the last one in my quest to read all the giller prize winners which i undertook about a year ago. Tim wenninger essay english language and literature studies literature publish your bachelors or masters thesis, dissertation, term paper or essay. The one thing the book is not is urgent, but it is affecting and appealing in a wistful sort of way. Vassanjis naipaulian language is like a sharp short knife that cuts through the superficial and gets to the heart and soul of the narrative. As of 2019, he has published nine novels, as well as a two collection of sho.
Vassanji gives us a powerfully emotional novel of love and loss, of an africanindian man who returns to the town of his birth in search of the girl he once lovedand the sense of self that has always eluded him. But the punishment for stealing such a book is harsh ai. Sep 03, 2016 the story that i have studied is leaving by m. In this novel that spans the period just before the first world war and the late eighties, vassanji challenges some of the ways in which colonialism in east africa has been imagined. The character that i admire in the story is aloos mother.
Buy the book of secrets book online at best prices in india on. His most recent novel, the assassins song, was shortlisted for both the giller prize and the governorgenerals prize for best novel in canada. Before going to canada in 1978, he attended mit and the university of pennsylvania, where he. In the aftermath of the brutal violence that gripped western india in 2002, karsan dargawalla, heir to pirbaag the shrine of a mysterious, medieval sufi begins to tell the story of his family. Brown in the opening chapter of his seminal book on canadian poetry 1943, i shall understand writing by those who having been born in canada. He turned these ingredients into a recipe and prepared them into this novel. Before going to canada in 1978, he attended mit and the university of pennsylvania, where he specialized in theoretical nuclear physics.
Vassanji, including the inbetween world of vikram lall, and the book of secrets, and more on. Two of the reasons are she has foresight for her children and selfless. Its simply baffling to me that such a book that this book appears on none of the major short lists this. Vassanji, cm born 30 may 1950 is a canadian novelist and editor, who writes under the name m. Nov 08, 2005 the inbetween world of vikram lall, a compelling record in the voice of a character described as a cheat of monstrous and reptilian cunning, took three years to write. The presentation of history in the book of secrets by m. M g vassanji is the author of nine novels, two collections of short stories, a travel memoir about india, a memoir of east africa, and a biography of mordecai richler. After the publication of the gunny sack, vassanji began writing fulltime and ended his career in physics. There are several reasons why i think she is an admirable character. Vassanji has 24 books on goodreads with 21018 ratings. As nostalgia draws to a close that unites the doctor, patient, and missing reporter, the reader realizes that memories of other vassanji novels have been leaking into this new book. This earnest and intelligent novel, the fourth from the indianborn author now resident in canada of the book of secrets 1996, sedulously charts an asianafrican immigrants experience of three decades of recent american history. Vassanjis texts a work that best exemplifies a postmanichean aesthetics, it would have to be the book of secrets. A memoir of east africa, a meditation on being an outsider in your home.